ninjette.org - View Single Post

PlaneGuy · October 4th, 2011, 09:50 AM

Shattered glass! That is what my fairing is like. No, I didn't crash. Heck, I have no CLUE why my fairing is like fragile shattered glass. But it is and, quite frankly, I am not one of those who believes that duct tape is a permanent fix. (But it is one hell of a great temporary fix and can even hold airplane fabric together until one can make permanent repairs -- don't ask how I know.)

I went to ride yesterday afternoon. (Bad day, getting out on the road helps.) As I was getting ready my leg brushed the bottom of the lower right side fairing and everything kinda' went SPROING! I don't know why but I suspect excessive heat from the previous owner's special exhaust system. It seems to have turned parts of the fairing brittle.

Cracks I suspect I can deal with using an appropriate solvent-type adhesive followed by a a lay-up of glass or carbon fiber and epoxy. (I would used crossed weave because I am not sure whether I am dealing with tensile or shear stresses and want to carry loads in all directions.) So, I solicit input as to whether this makes sense or not.

What I am more concerned with is rebuilding the attachement ears that are on the upper fairing to which the lower fairing bolts. (Yeah, the upper fairing needs repair too.) That has to be a high stress point and a weak repair will only fail again quickly. That has to be strong. Again, I am looking for suggestions from someone who has dealt with this and found a permanent fix.

Lastly, perhaps the best fix is to find another fairing that hasn't been damaged. I am open to buying one from someone. My 2006 ninjette is black but I am not picky. Function is more important than appearance. And there is always tastefully-applied paint.

So, since I am getting ready to take everything apart in order to do the forks (new springs, new seals, RaceTech cartridge emulator, different fork oil) and adjust the valves, I guess I am going to be making fairing repairs at the same time. Damn. I was hoping to take off and do some serious riding, not sit around gluing my fairing back together.

Help!

October 4th, 2011, 09:50 AM	#1
PlaneGuy Annoying gadfly Name: Brian Location: Cameron Park, CA Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Ninja EX250R Posts: 52 Blog Entries: 5	How do I repair a fairing? Shattered glass! That is what my fairing is like. No, I didn't crash. Heck, I have no *CLUE* why my fairing is like fragile shattered glass. But it is and, quite frankly, I am not one of those who believes that duct tape is a permanent fix. (But it is one hell of a great temporary fix and can even hold airplane fabric together until one can make permanent repairs -- don't ask how I know.) I went to ride yesterday afternoon. (Bad day, getting out on the road helps.) As I was getting ready my leg brushed the bottom of the lower right side fairing and everything kinda' went SPROING! I don't know why but I suspect excessive heat from the previous owner's special exhaust system. It seems to have turned parts of the fairing brittle. Cracks I suspect I can deal with using an appropriate solvent-type adhesive followed by a a lay-up of glass or carbon fiber and epoxy. (I would used crossed weave because I am not sure whether I am dealing with tensile or shear stresses and want to carry loads in all directions.) So, I solicit input as to whether this makes sense or not. What I am more concerned with is rebuilding the attachement ears that are on the upper fairing to which the lower fairing bolts. (Yeah, the upper fairing needs repair too.) That has to be a high stress point and a weak repair will only fail again quickly. That has to be strong. Again, I am looking for suggestions from someone who has dealt with this and found a permanent fix. Lastly, perhaps the best fix is to find another fairing that hasn't been damaged. I am open to buying one from someone. My 2006 ninjette is black but I am not picky. Function is more important than appearance. And there is always tastefully-applied paint. So, since I am getting ready to take everything apart in order to do the forks (new springs, new seals, RaceTech cartridge emulator, different fork oil) and adjust the valves, I guess I am going to be making fairing repairs at the same time. Damn. I was hoping to take off and do some serious riding, not sit around gluing my fairing back together. Help! __________________________________________________ Brian -- World domination through science!